Jennifer Garner to Star in Sci-Fi Movie "Zygote"

Jennifer Garner is attached to star in "Zygote" (working title), a sci-fi drama based on a short story by Alyssa Hill, who is on board to adapt the screenplay.

Hailing from Pinky Promise (The Last Showgirl) and Linden Productions (Is God Is), the film centers on Parisa (Garner), an elite crisis negotiator who is sent 254 miles from Earth as a response to hostages on the International Space Station. Due to the unexpected nature of the expedition, Parisa quickly realizes this could be her final mission, as she is forced to confront the limits of her life’s work alongside her own mortality.

Kara Durrett and Jessamine Burgum of Pinky Promise will produce alongside Riva Marker and Deanna Barillari of Linden Productions. Mia Samuels of Linden will oversee the project in tandem with Barillari after making the deal for rights to the film. The director’s chair remains open.

Garner is coming off of success with "The Last Thing He Told Me", Apple’s hit series adaptation of the New York Times bestseller by Laura Dave. She exec produces and stars in the series, which has wrapped production on a second season after launching as a limited series. Garner has also recently led the Netflix family comedies "Family Switch" (produced by Linden Productions) and "Yes Day", with the latter garnering the streamer’s biggest Kids & Family film launch to date. Next up, she’s set to star in and exec produce Peacock series The Five-Star Weekend. 

Currently, Hill is in production on her original script, "The Housewife", a film directed by Ben Shirian and starring Naomi Watts, Tye Sheridan, and Michael Imperioli. Other projects include "My Lovely Wife" for Amazon MGM starring Nicole Kidman; her adaptation of "Alone" for New Line; "Eleutheria" for Participant; and "League of Wives" which Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine is producing. 

Run by founders Nicole King and Stacy O’Neil alongside Partner JoAnne Colonna and CEO of Production Marker, Linden is currently in post on Aleshea Harris’ directorial debut "Is God Is", for Amazon MGM’s Orion Pictures. Recent projects include HBO’s Peabody Award winner Reality starring Sydney Sweeney; Family Switch; and the Working Title/Peacock holiday film, Genie, starring Melissa McCarthy.

Coming off an award-winning run for "The Last Showgirl", Pinky Promise is behind Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great, starring June Squibb and Chiwetel Ejiofor, which is premiering at Cannes, as well as the upcoming "I Don’t Understand You" with Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells, a horror comedy coming up for release in June. The company is founded by CEO Jessamine Burgum, who runs it with President and Head of Film Kara Durrett.